Kizuato Ga Nokoru
by Rezicca
Summary: Japan is severely wounded at the end of WW2, only to be found and healed by China. Soon after, the Cold War begins to erupt around them, forcing everyone to choose sides. A story of forgiveness, love, heart break, and healing from old scars. NiChu, yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I'm sure this will confuse some previous readers, so allow me to explain. I had to repost the chapters (and edit a few things, too). There is a reason you always log out when you're accessing any account on a public computer. I can't find the first chapter anywhere, so this will probably be a bit different. Sorry about that. Hopefully it will be better now.**

**To new readers, I'm so happy that you're reading this story, or at least giving it a chance. Thank you so much. I hope everyone enjoys this story. **

Yao was frustrated.

The war in Europe was over, but there was still the war in Asia to contend with. Japan was putting up more of a fight than anyone had expected. America had ordered the European countries and China not to get involved in the war with Japan, saying that he would end it. He didn't explain how he would go about ending the war, only that it was his duty as the hero to do so.

Despite everything Japan had done to him, China couldn't help but worry for the younger nation. He was still so naive, and he didn't understand truly what the North American nation was capable of. Yao remembered the ferocity with which the Americans had fought each other during the Civil War.

_I need a walk-aru_, China thought to himself as he leaned out the window. The day was beautiful, not a cloud in the sky, and he needed to clear his head. He would be meeting with his boss soon and it simply would not do to meet with the man while he was so distracted.

Locating a hair tie, he pulled his dark hair back into the ponytail he preferred while walking out the door. A soft breeze brushed the bamboo shoots that surrounded his house together, creating a calm, whispering sound that seemed to follow the ancient nation.

_I'm getting too old for these wars-aru_, the Asian nation thought grimly as he stretched, brushing a loose strand of hair behind his ear as he leaned against a brick wall before continuing down the dirt path.

The sound of coughing and gasping quickly pulled China out of his thoughts. He stopped in his tracks, looking around for the source of the sound. It started up again to his right, and, fearing the worst, Yao started pushing his way through the bamboo shoots until he reached a small clearing, a very familiar clearing..

"Kiku!" At the far end of the clearing lay the Eastern nation. China raced to the smaller man, falling to his knees at Japan's side.

There was so, so much blood. Japan's pristine, white uniform was soaked in the scarlet blood. In some areas the fabric had been burned away and Yao could see bone. The raven-haired nation coughed violently, blood dripping out of his mouth. He whimpered quietly as his Western neighbor reached up a shaking hand to brush back the dark bangs. His skin was so hot to the touch. What had America done to him?

Throwing a quick glance over his shoulder, Yao lifted Kiku as gently as he could, his heart almost breaking as Japan cried out in pain.

"Shhh" he whispered before hurrying back to his house. He would need to call someone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh hello! So I checked the hits on this story and was astonished. I have readers? Yay! Anyways, it is now three in the morning as I write this. This chapter did not want to be written. I am very satisfied with the end result though, and I hope you are too. Just a warning, I'll probably be shoving aside actual history quite a bit. It will be there, just not as much as in other stories. And it will probably just be for the whole Japan/China thing. **

**Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Please Read and Review! **

**PS: I probably won't be using a lot of Chinese honorifics, if at all. Sorry, but I just know way too little about the language to do so and not be worried about accuracy. If I do use phrases and they're incorrect, please let me know. **

Sighing, Yao took a step back. Kiku was sleeping now, more or less peacefully. Wrapping and cleaning the wounds had been a challenge by itself, and trying not to hurt the small nation anymore simply made the task more difficult. But nevertheless, China still couldn't help but worry. Japan had lost so much blood.

_But he's a nation-aru_, Yao tried to reassure himself, _it won't kill him._ He frowned and stepped closer to Kiku, gently sweeping back the sleeping man's dark hair. _What happened to him?_

He needed to call someone. Perhaps Russia would know something, China decided as he left the room and searched for a phone.

_Please answer_, he thought to himself once he had located a phone and dialed Ivan's number.

"Yao? Oh, hello!" Russia's carefree voice greeted.

"Ivan, you haven't heard anything from America, have you?"

"America? No, not since the last meeting. Why? Did he-?"

"Japan is here. I think America did something to him-aru." The dark-haired man looked over his shoulder as he waited for Russia to respond.

"Oh." Ivan's tone changed immediately. China didn't know why, but it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "How is Japan?"

"Not good. I found him and…it was awful. I've never seen so much blood from one person-aru."

"Perhaps you should speak to America, da?"

"He'll probably brag about it soon enough-aru," Yao said bitterly, feeling rage bubble up in him again.

A groan sounded from the next room. Yao's ears perked up as he set the phone down in an end table and hurried into the back room. Kiku was beginning to awaken, his eyelids fluttering slightly. China brushed a few stray hairs behind his ears and took a seat next to the bed.

"You're finally awake," he smiled softly after the smaller nation opened his eyes. Japan, surprised, made to sit up but Yao gently pushed him back down. "Don't try to sit up yet-aru. I don't know how well the bandages will hold.

"China-san…" China winced at the smaller nation's cracked voice. He sounded, looked too, as if he had been through hell and back. "H-?"

"I found you, but that's not important-aru," he whispered quickly. "What happened, Japan?" The nation frowned and said nothing, lowering his gaze and refusing to meet that of the older man next to him. "Kiku?" He still said nothing, but Yao realized that he was trembling slightly.

_He's probably still in pain_, he thought to himself.

"Rest, we'll speak later," he said quietly, cursing himself mentally for forgetting about the meeting with his boss. "I'll be back soon-aru." Standing, he turned to leave the room but stopped to look back at the smaller nation. "Please rest Japan. You really look as if you need it." Japan blinked in response, still not meeting China's eyes.

Yao frowned, but left and closed the door behind him, deciding to straighten himself before meeting with his boss.

When China returned to his house, the sun had begun to set. The full moon had already risen and was slowly continuing its ascent across the sky.

Feeling more paranoid now after the meeting, Yao threw a glance over his shoulder before entering the house, locking the door firmly behind him. Paranoia now being taken over by worry, he hurried into the backroom, brushing back some stray hairs before pulling the door open.

"Japan?" The smaller nation was kneeling on the far corner of the room, wearing the dark clothes Yao had left out for him. Feeling uneasy, he closed the door and hurried to Japan, kneeling by his side.

Japan looked up at China, but looked down again and shut his eyes tightly.

"A-are you feeling any better-aru?" The smaller man nodded and Yao wrapped his arm around Japan's shoulders.

"Hai. Thank you…for…" he sighed and stole a quick glance at the older nation next to him.

"Kiku, I had a meeting my boss. He doesn't know you're here, but he told me what America had told him." Japan winced and lowered his head, almost as if in shame. "I want to hear what happened from you-aru."

For a few seconds, Japan said nothing and China wondered if he was going to say anything at all, but then he spoke in a quiet, trembling voice.

"In six days, I must meet with America-san and perhaps the other allies," he leaned away from Yao, still refusing to raise his head. "He attacked, twice. It was too much. I…I surrendered." Japan spat out the last word, his eyes tightly shut.

"And your wounds-aru?"

"Most were from America-san. One was…" His voice trailed off and he stood suddenly, wincing, and placed a hand on his abdomen. China had turned and was watching the nation with wide eyes.

"Kiku…" He stood and took a step towards Japan, who took a step back.

"Watashi wa totemo hazukashiku omotte imasu." Japan turned away from Yao as he choked out the words in his nation's language.

"You don't need to be ashamed!" China cried as he took another step towards the smaller nation. Japan looked over at the older man and gasped, falling to his knees. Immediately, Yao was at his side, holding him as he shook and…cried. He was crying, China realized, and held him tighter.

"I saw…it all. Everyone that died. I saw everything," he choked out, shuddering when Yao gently squeezed him. "They didn't know what had happened. I didn't either. And during the brief seconds, I was them. It happened so much, I thought I was human.

"Once, then a second time. He threatened to do it again. It was just…just too much. I had to." He squeezed his eyes shut and turned away from China, still trembling. So naïve, Yao thought to himself.

"I just needed to get away, somewhere else. It…I think that's why I came here. It was familiar, perhaps a bad decision, but I hoped it would be different than…" He sighed, turning slightly to look at the man next to him. "I didn't think you would…after…" Yao felt Japan's eyes wander to a scar across the side of his neck, then immediately looked away. "Gomen ne."

A few minutes passed in which neither said anything. Yao was horrified, almost afraid of America. When did he become capable of such power?

"You need rest if you want to be well enough to meet with America in six days-aru," China said, watching the sky darken through the window as he listened to the breathing of the small man next to him. He felt Japan nod, and before either of them could stand, Kikku had wrapped his arms around Yao in a rare display of affection. It left the older man speechless, and the hug was over before he could return it.

"Arigatō," Japan whispered before rising with the help of Yao.

_Watashi wa totemo hazukashiku omotte imasu: I am so ashamed._

_Gomen ne: I'm sorry._

_Arigatō: Thank you_


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Seriously, it makes me so happy to see that people are actually enjoying this. I'm still not used to it. Haha. Anyways, I've finally got the whole story figured out. Can't wait to get to that point. Anyways, enjoy! Please read and review!**

Around dawn the next day, several rapid knocks sounded from the front door. Yao looked over at the door from the mirror he had been standing in front of, deciding to just leave his hair down.

"Russia?" He had opened the door to see the smiling, but furious nation standing in front of his house. Moving aside to allow the larger man to enter, he involuntarily shuddered as Ivan moved past him.

"I just came from seeing England." Ivan smiled, but his eyes violet eyes narrowed. "It seems that America did not tell him much either. I have not talked to anyone else. You have not either, da?"

"No one other than Kiku. And…" He sighed as the memory of last night replayed itself in his mind again. He had barely been able to sleep after listening to the smaller nation talk and…cry. He couldn't explain it, but thinking about Japan crying made him hurt.

"When is the next meeting-aru?" Yao asked, hoping to change the subject.

"England did not say. But _America_ is to let us know, according to England." His violet eyes narrowed and China took a step back. "How is Japan?"

"He was pretty seriously wounded by…him." Something told him that mentioning America's name when Ivan was this furious would not be wise. "But I think he'll be fine-aru. He'll have to meet with him in five days, to make the surrender official."

"No one knows Japan is here, da?" The silver-haired man tilted his head to the side, losing the edge in his voice. China's voice froze in his throat. His boss certainly didn't know, and it would be disastrous if the man did learn. He also had the other Allies to worry about. China couldn't handle another war, but he would not be leaving Kiku in his current state.

Russia was the only one who knew. Despite Ivan being one of the few that Yao completely trusted, he didn't know if it was wise telling the Russian in the first place.

"China, I will not tell them if you do me a favor." He nodded, not knowing what to expect. This was Russia after all. "There may come a time when I shall require your assistance and loyalty. When that time comes, I hope you will consider being my ally."

"Do you think-?"

"I think that they will be full of their own power, da? They may try to take us over. I am not concerned with France and England, but it is that…America, that I worry about. But if something were to happen, it would be better for us if we had allies, da?" He smiled in a way that would be endearing had Yao not known Russia for as long as he had, but just came out as menacing.

"Yes, I can agree to that-aru." Yao nodded, weighing his options carefully. It would be safe and he wasn't sure if he could risk America and the others learning that he was helping Japan. At the same time, he, like Russia, had always felt like he was not a huge part of the Allies. Perhaps…Russia was right, he thought. America would definitely be one to become drunk on his own power. Much like England…

They stood in silence, watching each other for a few moments until Russia looked up over China's shoulder and smiled.

"Privete Yaponiya!" Yao turned to see Kiku a few steps behind him. Japan bowed as well as he could, his eyes briefly meeting China's.

"Ohayō Roshia-san, China-san." Russia continued to grin at Japan in an almost malicious way. Yao noticed from the corner of his eye that Kiku refused to look at Ivan and even flinched slightly when he spoke.

"So, China. I should be leaving. I have these books I stole from Germany. Perhaps you would be interested, da?" He grinned and moved towards the door. "Do svidaniya i spasibo!" And with that, Ivan walked out, letting the door close behind him.

Thankful for the Russian's departure, China smiled at the smaller nation and walked towards him.

"Zǎoshang hǎo. How is…?" He gestured to Kiku's torso, his smile faltering somewhat.

"Oh… much better, thank you." He bowed again, his black eyes meeting Yao's deep brown. They stood in silence, and China felt his heart began to pound.

"I think I must return to Nippon, China-san" he said at last breaking the silence. "My boss will be looking for me. We have much to discuss before-"

"I'll go with you," the older nation cut in. Kiku raised an eyebrow. "America will want me there-aru," Yao explained with a sigh, brushing his long hair back. Japan nodded and looked down.

"I was considering leaving tonight or early tomorrow at the latest." China frowned, concern apparent in his deep brown eyes.

"Perhaps when you've regained more strength-aru. I do not trust him, America. Not anymore." Kiku nodded and met Yao's eyes for a moment, but quickly looked away again.

"Come, you're probably hungry. I'll cook for you-aru," China proposed, breaking a silence that lasted for a few moments.

"Are you sure, China-san? You do not-"

"I want to." Yao smiled at the smaller nation before leading him into the kitchen, and searching around for something to tie his hair back with before looking for a wok.

Japan watched the older nation scurry around for a few minutes while he tried to decide how to word a question. _Perhaps it would be best not to ask it at all_, he thought to himself. China had been surprisingly kind to him, however.

"China-san?"

"Yes?"

"I apologize for asking this, but, why are you helping me despite everything?" The larger nation dropped something and froze at Japan's question. He appeared to be deep in thought and bent over to retrieve whatever he dropped before answering the younger man.

"I think that as nations, there are two parts of us. One part is human and the other represents the interests of our people-aru. But you know that." Japan nodded, still watching Yao with softer eyes than he had ever seen. "As nations, you have done terrible things to me and I have to you-aru. But I still care for you and probably always will, as a human." He smiled warmly at Kikku before returning to the cooking.

"Arigatō, China-san," he said, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

_Privete Yaponiya: Good Morning Japan/Hello Japan_

_Ohayō Roshia-san: Good morning Russia-san_

_Do svidaniya i spasibo: Good bye and thank you_

_Zǎoshang hǎo: Good morning_


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: This chapter was really difficult to write. As a result, the quality isn't the best. I'm sorry. Nevertheless, I hope everyone enjoys it and doesn't cringe too much? I promise the next chapter will be better. Please read and review? I'd be grateful for any advice on how I can make future chapters less bleh. Thanks!**

The rest of the day passed rather quickly. They had decided to leave around noon, although China insisted on examining Kiku's still-healing wounds before departing. After years of power struggles and countless civil wars, especially the ongoing one, Yao really had not changed much, Japan thought as he lay shirtless on a bed while the older nation gently prodded around the injuries. He was still as bossy, but in that caring way, as he had always been.

"Not healing as well as I'd like-aru," China mumbled to himself as he cleaned the horizontal gash across Kiku's abdomen. The other wounds were healing quite well, however, despite being more painful.

For the first time since arriving, Japan found himself actually meeting the older nation's gaze. China seemed to smile with his eyes every time Kiku looked up at him in that same way he always had.

"Are you still sure you want to leave today?" Yao asked, frowning as he heard a sharp intake of air from the smaller nation as a finger brushed perhaps too roughly against the gash on the side of his torso.

"Hai," Japan nodded. "I would like to survey the damage as well before-" he stopped abruptly as one of China's long, slender fingers brushed against his hipbone, sending goose bumps up his spine.

"Then it's a good thing I'm not letting you go alone-aru," China smiled softly as he pulled Kiku up and wrapped up the injuries. Japan shivered as those slender fingers passed over his hipbone again.

"Arigatō," the younger country said quietly as he pulled on his obi, looking down almost uncomfortably.

"You don't have to thank me-aru," Yao smiled at him with soft eyes.

The journey to Japan was shorter than Yao remembered it being. Kiku had said little on the trip, although he occasionally met China's gaze. His dark eyes were emotionless, but every now and then they seemed to shine with either fear or relief.

It wasn't long until they were standing outside of Kiku's home at the base of Mount Fuji. Above them, the sun was beginning to set, casting an orange glow over the mountain and the surrounding area. It would be a beautiful night, Yao noted as he looked up at the sky that was growing darker by the minute.

"Yao-san?" Kiku had walked over to the side of the house, frowning slightly. "Do not go elsewhere other than the main room for now. I am unsure as to the extent of the damage."

Curious, China crossed over to Kiku, surprised at the sheer size of the Japanese-styled building. It backed into the side of the mountain, large windows placed just so to allow as much light in as possible. Closer to the back, the walls seemed to be crumbling and pieces of the tiles of the roof lay scattered about.

"It doesn't seem too bad from out here-aru," he observed, smiling as Japan nodded curtly before leading the older nation around to the front again and opening the heavy wooden door.

The front room was surprisingly immaculate, for China remembered that the younger nation had spent very little time during the war at home; he had always been in Europe or other parts of Asia. Yao briefly recalled Japan's quick stop in China and shuddered at the memory.

"You are welcome to stay for as long as you would like, Yao-san," the younger nation offered, pulling his elder out of his thoughts. Yao turned to face Kiku again and was surprised to see a small smile tugging at the corners of the other man's lips.

"Xièxiè". They stood in silence for a few moments, almost uncomfortably. Japan looked as if he wanted to say something, but remained quiet. "I'll…I'll brew some tea, if you would like-aru," China offered, hoping to break the uncomfortable silence. He also hoped that perhaps he and the younger nation could speak some more over tea.

"I'll take care of it," Kiku responded, quickly exiting the room. Yao bit his lip and resigned himself to merely looking around the large space.

It was very fitting of the young Japanese man's personality, he decided. Almost everything was a beige color and very clean. A few wall-hangings adorned the room with Japanese characters.

In a far corner by the arch through which Japan had disappeared sat a planter with…a few bamboo shoots growing. As he approached the plant, Yao couldn't help but notice the striking resemblance to those back in China. Running a slender finger gently across the shoot, he sighed deeply, the memories quickly coming back to him.

Bamboo, the simple plant brought back so many memories for Yao. He remembered finding Kiku in the middle of the bamboo, how small and vulnerable the child had seemed. He remembered countless walks together through the bamboo. He remembered the whispering it made when the wind brushed it together during the many cool nights they would spend outside, occasionally watching the moon above.

He also remembered lying face down in the bamboo, pain cutting deep through him as he stared up into the cold black eyes which watched his every move before vanishing in the night. China sighed and stepped away from the bamboo, the old scar running down his back beginning to hurt again.

Across the room by the door, an old-looking and somewhat familiar painting hung low on the wall. Checking to see if Kiku was coming back, Yao crossed the room to the painting. He recognized it immediately.

It was truly a very old painting, and very simple. A younger Japan and China were kneeling in front of the blue strokes of the Yangtze River that cut through the fabric of the painting. The faded red of Yao's zhiju contrasted sharply with the dark grays of Kiku's kimono.

The memory of the day was still very clear, Hong Kong and Taiwan playing in the banks of the Yangtze while Japan and China chatted happily and Korea painted.

He had not known about the painting until after Japan and Korea began to fight. While he had been told that it had been given to Kiku, he never thought that the young nation would keep something like this.

"Yao-san?" China quickly turned to face the younger nation whose head was tilted slightly to the side, eyebrows furrowed in curiosity. He held two cups of tea and his eyes, those black eyes, scanned the older nation's face inquisitively.

"I did not know that you still had this-aru," he sighed at last, taking the cup Japan offered. Moving away from the painting, he sat cross-legged at a table across from the dark-haired nation.

Kiku said nothing in response, kneeling and sipping the tea as if it was just to keep his hands busy. He kept his eyes averted, glancing over at the bamboo every now and then.

"Let's go outside," Yao suggested when the tea had been finished. "The moon is in the sky now. It would be fun-aru." He grinned and pulled the younger man out of the building. They were soon seated on the porch, though it was still in silence.

The moon was not as full as China thought it would be, but that didn't matter to him. It was wonderful to just be sitting outside and watching the moon with the other man.

"Rabbits pounding medicine." Yao thought aloud, grinning at the younger man who was seated several feet away.

"No, mochi," Japan responded, smiling genuinely now. They both laughed and a cool breeze blew through the clearing. The night was warm, more so than China had expected. At the same time, it was comfortable, not oppressing.

"Kiku?"

"Yes Yao-san?" Japan tore his eyes away from the moon to look over at the older nation.

"I didn't mean it, when I said…" his voice trailed off; he couldn't look at Japan anymore. His heart pounded in his chest, and he felt like he was suffocating. He let down his hair in one fluid motion and leaned over, staring steadily at the ground. "I don't hate you-aru."

"You should." He said almost harshly. "It was unforgiveable." China frowned and sighed. The memories were still so vivid, of hearing the screams and feeling the heat of the fire, of watching Japan, the armies…

"_You're no longer a nation-aru, but a monster! I hate you!" _He had screamed at the smaller country. And he had cried, from anger, pain, sorrow, he wasn't sure.

"But why don't you, Yao-san?" Yao raised his eyes to meet Japan's large dark eyes which stared at him almost inquisitively.

"I have two thousand years on you-aru. And I said before, I'll always care about you, Kiku." He forced a smile and wrapped his arm around the younger man's shoulders. _More than either of us know_.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: A huge thanks to everyone who reviewed and favorited this story and just read it in general. Seeing the traffic for all of this just blew my mind. I want to apologize again for the quality of this chapter. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy this chapter. The next chapter, that's when the plot will actually get going. Enjoy!**

**A huge thanks to Pan Jaganshi for the corrections. **

The days leading up to the formal surrender ceremony passed quickly, and China noticed that Japan seemed more and more tense now that they were a day away from the dreaded date.

China was worried for the younger nation. His wounds were not healing as well as Yao would have preferred. He wondered bitterly if America had known the wounds would heal frustratingly slowly when he attacked Japan.

Japan, fortunately, did not seem to be in as much pain now, but Yao still heard the sharp intake of breath from the younger nation as he cleaned and wrapped the wounds.

"I wonder if these will heal as the cities are rebuilt-aru," Yao thought aloud as Kiku pulled his yukata back on, seeming to disappear under the yards of fabric.

"Perhaps, but it is still too dangerous to visit the sites."

"Dangerous for humans-aru." Yao remembered the flattened city of Nagasaki. Japan had persuaded China to accompany him to the ruined city the day after they arrived in Tokyo. Few structures still stood, and those that did were barely recognizable as buildings.

The worst part had been seeing the imprints that were the only remnants of the people who once inhabited the city. China remembered the horror he had felt, seeing everything. He remembered how Japan had collapsed, crying silently while Yao held the younger nation tightly, chiding himself for not talking Kiku out of visiting the city.

"China-san, do you know what I should expect tomorrow? From America-san?" Yao frowned as he ran a hand through his long dark hair before tying it back into the relaxed ponytail he preferred.

"I'm not sure." He said after some thinking. "He won't be negotiating reparations tomorrow-aru. That is all I know." Japan nodded, lowering his gaze again.

Thinking about America made rage build up inside China. He clenched his fist and sighed, stealing a glance at Japan, who was adjusting his obi. There was a sharp gasp from the younger man as his hand quickly went to his abdomen.

Yao frowned and walked over to the other nation, cautiously wrapping an arm around the raven-haired man. Japan looked up at Yao, his face unreadable. China half expected the nation to move away from him, but was surprised when Kiku turned and hugged him tightly.

His heart began to pound as the faint scent of cherry blossoms filled his nostrils and he closed his eyes, gently squeezing the younger nation. At the same time, the scent of cherry blossoms seemed to grow further and further away. China's knees gave out and he was unconscious before he hit the floor.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Are you feeling better, China-san?" Japan asked later that day as they sat on the steps leading to the front door, watching the sun disappearing over the mountains. Yao looked up at his Eastern neighbor as he thought about how to answer.

The rest of the day had not been as eventful as the morning had been, although Japan had asked China several times if he was feeling alright. Each time China had lied, hoping that he was convincing the other nation.

He didn't understand why, but Yao felt incredibly guilty each time he lied to the Japanese man. But this is not Japan's problem, he told himself. He doesn't need to know.

Japan frowned when China did not answer, but he didn't press the question, for which Yao was grateful.

"Tonight should be a full moon, right-aru?" Kiku nodded, watching as the wind blew through the leaves of a tree nearby.

"China, where the sun sets and Japan, where the sun rises-aru," he recalled, laughing as the raven-haired nation blushed.

"You remember that, China-san?"

"Of course! It was strange, something so rude coming from such a young country-aru." He laughed again as Japan sighed, still flushed.

Silence enveloped them as the sun continued to set, painting the mountain clearing gold and yellow. The night quickly followed, the full moon the only light for the dark night. In the distance, China could see the multicolored lights of the Japanese cities, shining almost as bright as the stars overhead.

"Anata ni Chūgoku o arigatō," China blinked as Japan moved and sat closer to him. The faint scent of cherry blossoms once again filled his nostrils and he felt his heart begin to pound. He blinked again in confusion as the smaller nation turned to meet his gaze. "I hope I can repay you for your kindness one day."

"Bié kè qi," The older nation said in response, stealing a glance at his Eastern neighbor. Kiku seemed to be deep in thought, his intense gaze turned to the moon. "Japan?"

"Hai?"

"I lied earlier," he confessed, not looking at Kiku now. "About the fainting-aru. There's a civil war being fought in my country-aru." He brushed back his hair, feeling guiltier than he should.

"I know, Y-Yao-san. I didn't want to press. But you're a bad liar." He turned to look at China, those dark eyes unreadable. "Are you alright now?" The elder nation nodded, smiling genuinely.

"It's nothing I haven't experienced before-aru."

"Until it ends, please don't overwork yourself, Yao-san," China scoffed.

"I'm not _that_ old-aru!" He felt himself smile as Japan laughed. The younger nation was so serious, he rarely laughed and to China, it was a marvelous sound.

He replayed the memory again and again in his mind while he lay in bed that night. Tomorrow would be far different, he thought sadly. He hoped Japan was resting; the young country would need his energy. Surrendering was always stressful for nations, he remembered.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry again for not updating for a while. More computer issues! Woohoo. I had to be quick about writing this chapter as it's on the desktop and my parents are not too supportive of my writing. Nevertheless, I'm so happy with how this chapter came out and I hope everyone enjoys it.**

**I also hope everyone in Japan is alright. How devastating. May the country recover quickly. Japan is a strong country, thankfully. Still, what a disaster. I've seen some fanfiction about the disaster already…no comment there. **

**Anyways, thank you for reading both this long AN and this chapter. Please R&R! I'm so close to 15 reviews for this. ^^**

The signing of the official surrender documents had been far simpler than China expected. The heads of Japan and America simply greeted one another and exchanged a few words before sitting down to sign the documents. A portion of the American navy stood as witnesses in the background, and while their gaze was mostly fixated on Japan and his superior, China caught one or two staring curiously at him.

Surprisingly, America had said very little to either of the nations during the ceremony, seeming to forget that China was there. He had tried to make conversation with Japan, however, which made Yao's blood boil. _How dare he-aru_, the ancient nation thought bitterly, _how childish._ Had America no respect for Japan? Or did he assume that everything was fine and dandy now that the fighting had ceased?

"Our representatives will be meeting…to negotiate…" China was pulled out of his thoughts by the American President, a simple looking man much like the blonde next to him, explained to the Prime Minister of Japan. Kiku stared steadily at the ground, and China could see his knuckles whiten as the nation gripped something tightly.

"China, is there anything you want?" The blue-eyed country called over to his ally. Yao's golden eyes narrowed as he watched the younger man. "I want to know who's coming." He flashed his signature white smile.

"No, but I will still be there-aru," China answered, hoping to keep his voice steady as his patience with the other nation began to diminish at a faster rate. The Japanese Prime Minister watched Yao uneasily, as did the American President. Behind the two leaders, he thought he saw Kiku smile gratefully before quickly turning back to the North American nation.

/-/-/-/-/

Japan and China met later back in Japan's home. The smaller nation said very little to Yao, excusing himself quickly to make tea. The ancient nation watched his Eastern neighbor hurry off, his thoughts turning back to America and the meeting to negotiate reparations for the war.

War certainly had changed. Everything about it had changed in this century. It was growing more brutal, more devastating. Weapons and technology were making everything about it worse. First, it had been the musket, then rifles, machine guns, bombs that could destroy villages and wreck buildings, and now the atomic bomb, the weapon they had learned was used on Japan.

A single bomb that could flatten entirely cities like a breath of air on a house of cards, China could barely comprehend the idea of it. The idea of it was horrifying, and the effect it had had on Japan was nightmarish. And he knew that one day entire wars would be fought with these weapons.

The long-term effects had also been explained to Japan, the radiation in particular. Yao felt his temper begin to rise has he thought of how America had explained everything, how unapologetic he had acted. America was still a child, a child who couldn't understand the consequences of his actions, a child who had been given too much power.

Yao stopped his pacing, brushing back a loose strand of hair as he looked up at the painting that had hung on the wall. The sight of the messy strokes that represented Japan and China made him want to smile, although he wasn't sure why.

Korea, he would have to call him.

A crash and a thud as something heavy fell to the floor pulled China out of his thoughts. He blinked once before hurrying to the other room, almost slipping on the tatami mat on the floor.

Japan was kneeling on the wooden floor of the kitchen, trying to soak up the green tea that had spilled. He looked away quickly as China kneeled to collect the pieces of the shattered cup.

"Japan?" The smaller nation's pale hands shook as he mopped up the liquid. "Kiku, are you alright?"

"Hai," he answered quickly, standing slowly to wring the rag in the sink. China stood as well, dropping the broken fragments of the cup on the counter as he hurried to steady the pale man.

"Japan. Sit down-aru," he steered his Eastern neighbor into a chair.

"China-san, I-"

"Sit down Kiku," China ordered, pushing him to sit down with more force than was necessary. The ancient nation searched quickly for a cup and forced it into the smaller man's hands. "Drink it-aru." Reluctantly, Japan obeyed.

He was very pale, China noted as he watched Kiku closely. He reached up a slender hand to brush back his Eastern neighbor's raven bangs, frowning as his fingers came into contact with Japan's cold, sweaty skin.

"Drink it. I should have brought some of my tea. It's better-aru," Japan obeyed, color slowly returning to his cheeks.

Smiling at his small victory, Yao turned back to the broken glass on the counter, scooping up the fragments and discarding them.

"I'm sorry, China-san. I sho-"

"Japan," As the smaller country tried to stand China pushed him back down with an open palm. "Don't stand. You are still pale-aru." He brushed back the raven bangs again, marveling at how soft the dark hair was.

Yes, everything about war was changing, Yao decided as Japan reluctantly explained how he had dropped the tea. This must have been due to the radiation America had mentioned.

The end of war was very different now too. Before, the losing nation was exploited for resources, or conquered and made no more. China thought about Germany after WWI, and he thought of Russia.

Later that night, he learned during a phone call with America that Russia had attacked Japan around the same time, and that occupation for Japan was very likely.

"Don't let Russia get him-aru," China frowned as he heard himself plead with the Western nation. He loathed the idea of America controlling Japan, but it was a much better option.

A week.

Had it really only been a week?

The ancient nation asked himself again and again as he tried to sleep why he was still trying to take care of Japan, a week later. The Eastern nation was a remarkably fast healer, even if the wounds weren't healing as quickly as China would like.

But Yao knew the answer, he knew why he wanted to take care of Japan. The answer was so clear to him.

**AN: A second AN! Anyways, I wanted to let you guys know that I will start writing an AU NiChu fic soon, if anyone is interested. It'll take place during WWII, of course. **


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: I'm still alive! So very sorry about not updating last week. Life got pretty busy. But I have updated now, and this is the longest chapter I have ever written. Over two thousand words! As I've been without a laptop (and still am), I wrote the majority of this on my Nook. Yeah. Let me tell you how much fun this was. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! I worked really hard on it. This was actually the only chapter I had completely planned out from the very beginning. Nevertheless, it wasn't easy to write. Now, a fair warning: This isn't completely historically accurate. I couldn't find a lot of information and just went off what I remember from taking World History last year and AP US History this year. Also, I changed a few things, such as having the post-war stuff done with the Axis Powers all at once rather than one at a time as they surrendered. There also might be a bit of OOC-ness, though I really hope not. **

**Now that world's longest AN is done, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Japan was early for the meeting, as was expected. He sat nervously in one of the small chairs placed around the large round table set up for the meeting room.

The other countries would be arriving soon, he thought as he glanced at the clock across the room. Germany would arrive right on time, as would Italy if the blonde had anything to say about it.

Japan stood and walked to the large window at the East side of the room. The London sky was overcast this morning, and light rain fell, adding mist to the air. He sighed, his mind turning to the last week of his life.

He unconsciously pressed a hand to the side of his torso, feeling the bandages that covered the wound underneath his suit. China...

He hadn't seen the golden-eyed nation since the previous morning, before he said something about needing to prepare for the meeting and dashed off. It wasn't until then that Japan realized just how empty his house seemed without his Western neighbor.

Why did it seem so empty though? He hadn't spent much time with China since...he sighed and moved away from the window, glancing up at the clock before taking a seat once again.

China, he didn't care how inappropriate it had been. Japan had enjoyed spending time with the elder nation. It had been a nice change after the war, the war that was finally over.

An exasperated sigh sounded from the hallway leading to the small room where they would be meeting. Kiku looked sharply as a mumbling England limped into the meeting room, dropping his briefcase on the circular table.

"The git...said he would...here first," the European nation muttered angrily as he opened the briefcase and began digging for a paper. He met Japan's eyes briefly before turning his attention back to the crumbled paper he had fished out.

The East Asian nation looked to his own documents, scanning them briefly as England took out a pen and scribbled at something furiously. He stopped suddenly and dropped the pen.

"Japan?" The raven-haired man looked up from the documents, meeting England's green eyes. "Are you...alright...after...?" He gesticulated as he spoke, leaning over to retrieve his fallen pen.

Kiku blinked and nodded, bemused. The European nation frowned, his bushy eyebrows furrowed, before turning back to his documents.

"Ludwig! Veh~ don't walk so fast! You'll hurt yourself!" A familiar accent cried frantically from the hallway.

The blonde nation appeared through the doorway, closely followed by a nervous Italy.

Germany's left arm was in a sling, and Italy was covered in bruises and healing cuts. England looked up as the remaining Axis powers entered the meeting room, then resumed his furious writing.

"Kiku!" The small nation ran and hugged the Japanese, almost pulling the small man out of his seat. "Veh~ I'm so glad to see you're alright!"

"Feliciano, be careful," Germany growled as he approached his ex-ally. "How are you, Kiku?" He pulled Italy off Japan with his good arm and threw a quick glance at England, who was digging through his briefcase for another paper.

"I'm alright, Germany-san. How are you and Italy-kun?"

"We're great, veh~" The Italian happily replied before shooting a worried glance at England and taking a seat by Germany.

"I'm sorry about leaving you to fight on your own. Es tut mir-"

"Do not worry about it, Germany-san," Japan cut in as loud voices carried into the meeting room from the hallway.

"-And then we just kept going! It was dark and the water was up to our shoulders and they were just raining down on us but they couldn't stop us!"

"Amérique finally did something write," a thick French accent floated into the room.

"What are you talking about dude? I always do everything right!"

"And then what happened?" An enthusiastic voice reached Japan's ears, and the island nation froze. Korea...what was he doing here?

"Well once they saw how awesome we were, they gave up! And then we got France and after that the Germans didn't have a chance!" England looked up in annoyance, a bushy eyebrow raised as he dropped the pen once again.

The three speakers finally entered the room, still happily chatting amongst each other. America took a seat by his former colonizer, pulling the irritated man into a one-armed hug as he did so

"Hey Arthur! What's up dude?" The North American greeted England happily, unaware of the other man's annoyance.

"Sod off, you fucking git," England shrugged out of his former colony's hug and reached for the pen, glaring at the tall man beside him before reaching for another document.

America watched him, perplexed, and turned his attention to his own briefcase, still continuing on the conversation he had been having with Korea. That is, until Korea caught sight of Japan.

"Brother Kiku!" Japan froze, having stood to retrieve several papers that had fallen to the floor with America's arrival. He felt a pair of strong arms grab him around the waist and he was lifted from the floor, dropping the papers again in shock. Almost instantly, he was on the ground again. "No, I'm mad at you," The Korean crossed his arms as Japan turned to face him. His hair was wild as always, and the curl that stuck out several inches from the side of his head bounced violently as Korea shook his head.

But the Asian nation grinned again and hugged Japan tightly before the raven-haired man could get a word in. "We should catch up after this, brother Kiku!" And with that, the Korean had taken a seat across the circular table near America.

"You're brother seemed happy to see you, veh~" Italy observed once Japan had retrieved his papers and taken a seat once again. He merely nodded before stealing a sideways glance at Germany, who was looking over several documents almost nervously.

"Late, you're always late!" Someone shouted from the hallway as the sound of approaching footsteps reached Japan's ears.

"I was here before you-aru!" Came the shouted reply as Switzerland and China entered the room, Russia following close behind them.

"Let's start this already!" Switzerland glared at the Axis powers, Germany in particular, before taking a seat at the far end of the table and China and Russia had seated themselves near France. China caught Japan's eye and gave him a small smile before looking over several hastily written documents.

"Austria isn't coming?" England looked up from his papers and examined the three nations in front of him closely. America shook his head, adjusting his glasses before speaking.

"So we're going to be talking about reparations and other post-war stuff." He frowned and looked at the Axis powers, his eyes briefly meeting Germany's. "We did this wrong last time. It was pretty unheroic. But this time, things will be different! And better!" He grinned and looked over a paper France handed him.

"There will be no subjugating or enslaving, understood? And the Allied Powers already know what they can and can't take." Switzerland glared at Russia before examining several papers England had passed him. Out of the corner of his eye Japan saw Italy scoot his chair closer to Germany's.

"So I guess we'll start with reparations. Money. And you guys can negotiate, but for the money has already been agreed on." Switzerland finished writing while America spoke and handed the document to France, who looked it over before passing it to England.

"Italy, you were by far the easiest to decide on money-wise," England explained as he read over the document. "Because you technically helped us out, we won't be demanding reparations, but you will pay $360,000,000 to Greece, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union," The island nation raised an eyebrow at Russia before turning to his former colony. "And what would that be in the Italian currency?"

"Um," America looked up as he tried to remember, "What is Italy's currency anyways? Either way, it's a lot!"

"Of course," England muttered under his breath as he looked back at the document in his hands.

"Germany is next, right?" The blue-eyed nation attempted to read the document over England's shoulder.

"Oui," France answered, smoothing back his light hair. Next to him, Japan noticed Germany grow rigid and Italy shot him a nervous look. He had remembered what had happened with Germany at the end of the First World War, how the central European nation had been forced to pay for the entire war, and Japan felt worried for his former-ally.

"Awesome! So, Germany," America glanced back at the document in England's hands before continuing, "What sort of scientific stuff did you guys come across?" Ludwig shifted uncomfortably before reaching for his briefcase and thumbing through several folders. He pulled out a particularly thick envelope and passed it to America, frowning as the young nation opened the envelope.

"Everything is there, as you requested," he said through gritted teeth. "Medical discoveries, blueprints for machines, chemical-"

"Awesome dude! And what about your industrial stuff?" Another folder was pulled out of the neat briefcase and passed to America.

"This is continuing what we had discussed at the last meeting. We have decided that because Germany could not pay actual money, we, specifically America, France, and I, will be taking control of certain industries." England passed a document back to Switzerland, who looked over the document before writing something towards the bottom.

"Scientists too," America cut in, throwing a cautious glance at Russia who simply smiled, "I want to claim German scientists and other science stuff for America!" Ludwig's steely blue eyes narrowed, but he nodded and signed the document Switzerland handed to him, Italy following suit.

"Now Japon," France leaned back and watched America dig frantically through his haphazardly organized briefcase. Japan felt his blood run cold as the North American nation pulled out the paper he had been searching for, knowing what it was instantly.

"So, do you guys agree to the Potsdam Declaration?" The Potsdam Declaration, Japan had burned the document when his seniors were presented with it. Surrender was out of the question. No, they would, could, never agree to unconditional surrender as the document and as the Americans demanded.

But then America followed through on his promise of destruction, and then Russia attacked. Kiku shivered as he remembered the face of the Russian inches from his, the cold water pipe pushing against the side of his face. He remembered the exploding pain of the bombs, the burning and the screams and the clouds, dusty gray mushroom clouds over the cities.

Perhaps this is why the Europeans surrendered so easily, why they accepted surrender. They had experienced the pain and the fighting so many times.

"Hai, we accept the terms," he heard himself answer and reached for a pen, signing the document America presented to him.

"I'll talk to my boss about what we're going to do about overseas assets and stuff, because he still hasn't finished working on those. But occupation, that was in the Declaration and is still happening." The blonde glanced at the document quickly before stuffing it back into the piles of papers on the table. "No subjugation, of course!" He added quickly as Switzerland glared at him. "What we said before, we'll leave as soon as the terms are met."

"Hai," Japan nodded solemnly as China cleared his throat loudly.

"What about the atomic bomb-aru?" The ancient nation asked, his irritation barely concealed in his voice.

"What do you mean dude?"

"America," England sighed and leaned forward on the table, rubbing his temples in frustration. "You told none of us about this technology. You did not tell me, or France, or Russia, or China."

America blinked in confusion. "And?"

"Don't you think we needed to know about that? Or are you so thick that you thought it best to hide this detail from us, from your Allies?" England gritted his teeth and glared his former colony.

"I am not going to sit here while you argue! Are you going to finish the negotiations or not?" The Briton tore his eyes away from the American and apologized to Switzerland before pulling out several documents Japan realized were maps.

"Later, we will discuss this later, America."

"I did what I had to do to end the war," the young nation growled back at his former caretaker before taking the map of Germany and handing it to Russia. "Remember, you guys do have some say in occupation. Not a lot, and only if there's something you can offer. Russia, you wanted a part of Germany, right?" The ashen blonde nodded, grabbing a pen and circling something on the map.

"I have always had my eyes on beautiful Berlin," Russia smiled, though his eyes remained cold as ice. Germany stiffened and glared at the northern nation.

"Never will I allow you to take Berlin," he growled, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'd kill you first." The Russian reached across China and Korea for a map of Italy. Feliciano instantly paled as Russia considered the map.

"Italy is a beautiful place, da? Warm too," he smiled ominously at Italy, and then Germany.

"How about this, Russia," Ludwig sighed with some difficulty, taking the map of Germany and circling the Eastern portion with his good arm. The map was handed to Russia and out of the corner of his eye Japan saw Germany take hold of Italy's hand. The Asian nation blinked in realization as the Russian contemplated the area circled.

"I suppose this will do," the ashen blonde decided, and Switzerland made a note on another document.

**Thanks to everyone for reading! By the way, I've been watching the traffic I've been getting for my Hetalia stories. Oh my gosh. You guys are the best. Seriously I just about cried when seeing those numbers. **

**Anyways, please review and tell me what you thought and what I can improve on. ^^ Thanks!**

**PS: I currently have a poll open on my profile. Once I get the laptop back (should be soon!) I'm going to be putting out more yaoi lemon practice one-shots. I have one up now, A Solution To Insomnia. Anyways, there's a poll on my profile about what couple should be featured in the next practice. Please vote if you like lemons and if you haven't already. Thanks!**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: A huge thanks to all my readers for the last two months. Yes, this story has been around for two months. It blows my mind. The traffic too. The reviews are also making me quite happy. ^^ You guys really are awesome. The reviews keep me going.**

Japan sat in the back of his house in the late afternoon, admiring the way the wind swept through the leaves of the cherry tree not too far from where he sat. Summer was ending and fall was beginning. Following the fall would be the cool winter, then the green spring, after which the cycle would repeat itself again and again. Fall, with cooler temperatures and shorter days, would be a nice change from the sweltering summer heat.

On the other side of the house, he heard a door close and forced back a sigh. America was probably back.

It had been a week since the post-war agreements had been officially signed. America hadn't lied; things were much different this time around. When he had expected subjugation, Japan was surprised at how…free he was instead. Almost no restrictions had been placed on his relations with other nations.

Of course, there was a downside. That downside of course would occupation. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, but America was so…so…

Japan couldn't think of a word to describe the young nation. Oblivious? Immature? Not to mention hasty and careless. But he was lucky, Kiku remembered. Surrender was dishonorable, but at least now his people wouldn't be tortured and beaten into submission like they would if Japan had been taken over by Russia.

American culture certainly was interesting, the Japanese thought as he stole a quick glance inside his house. Interesting…if a bit strange at times.

"Kiku! Where are you-aru?" The Japanese stood quickly in surprise as he heard China's voice, straightening his obi before walking back inside.

"China-san?"

"Your door was unlocked-aru." China crossed his arms as Japan entered the house. His hair looked different today, the island nation noticed. The signature ponytail worn by the ancient nation was more relaxed, tied back lower than usual. "How is…?"

"Oh. They're healing. Arigatō," he bowed low, meeting the older nation's eyes as he straightened. "How are you, China-san?"

"Exhausted," Yao sighed, his shoulders slumping forward ever so slightly. Japan frowned; China's civil war must be getting worse, he thought, noting how the other nation seemed to look a bit older than before. "But I'll be fine-aru," He quickly added, smiling at the younger nation. Kiku felt a slight smile tug on the corners of his lips as he struggled to find something to say in response.

"Um, are you hungry, China-san?" He felt almost foolish asking the question.

"Yes, actually. I'll make something for us-aru," The ancient nation declared, smiling at Japan before heading into the kitchen.

"A-are you sure? I can make some-"

"No, I'm cooking. You probably haven't eaten that well, with being occupied by America-aru." It was true; Japan had given so little thought to food while trying to complete the "Westernizing and Democratizing" tasks given to him by the American, which kept him constantly on his toes. They ranged from completely rewriting the Japanese constitution (a feat they were still trying to accomplish with very little success since his government proved to be more stubborn than anyone predicted) to a spontaneous game of baseball (or rather, Alfred would throw a leather ball at him and try to get him to throw it back, which was actually more fun than Kiku cared to admit).

"Um, arigatō," the island nation said, feeling almost awkward as he followed China to the kitchen, who had already found rice and something else which was cooking in a pot.

"Have you managed to talk to Korea yet-aru?" Japan shifted uncomfortably at the question as he was handed an empty kettle to fill with water.

"I have not."

"You should visit him and apologize-aru. He's still upset," China sighed, frowning at his Eastern neighbor as he stirred whatever was cooking.

"I know," Japan looked away from the ancient nation, feeling ashamed. He hadn't had much time lately to visit the Korean, and he knew the nation was busy as well. The day of Korean unification was close, he remembered America saying.

"It might make things easier for him-aru," Yao continued, taking the cups Kiku handed to him. "You should apologize to Mei too. Well, or not," he shrugged, stirring the cooking food again with a pair of chopsticks, "You can never do wrong in her eyes-aru." Japan looked up but said nothing, watching the other man who was so attentive to the cooking food closely.

China always took food and cooking so seriously. Kiku remembered how excited the other man would get about creating new recipes when he had been growing up. The ancient nation really only seemed truly content when cooking or when around the other Asian nations. The carefree half-smile the nation wore suited him well, Japan thought with a content sigh.

He really had missed the older nation, Kiku realized, feeling almost embarrassed. He hadn't seen China much in the last few hundred years, and their relationship had been strained…for a while, he remembered shamefully.

But he felt…happy, content? Yes, content around the other nation. He always had, to an extent, despite the tensions that had existed between them since almost the very beginning. Japan pushed the thoughts from his mind as he found himself smiling at yet another story Yao was recounting for him.

**AN: I'm sorry, this chapter was a bit shorter than I intended, and not much really happened. Nevertheless, I hope you all enjoyed it. Actual plot should be coming in soon. The next chapter maybe? ;) Anyways, I'm sorry about the huge wait between chapters. I'll try to get another one up sometime this week. Life has been super chaotic lately. I have Standardized Testing next week, Spring break the week after (Which will be spent studying in Arizona), and the AP US History and English tests the week after that. We just won't even talk about the other countless assignments and projects due. Grrr. **

**I promise better, longer, and more frequent updates once the AP tests are done with. **

**So, please review, and tell me what you think. Reviews are love and keep me going despite epic school/family stress. ^^**

**Also, I posted that NiChu smutty one-shot that was promised, just so everyone knows. It's called First Time, and even though I fail at titles, I think it's pretty good. Another poll is up, so feel free to answer that if you wish. Thanks!**


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